Anonymous donor offers to buy police dog for Montville department

MONTVILLE — A Montville resident is willing to pay the up-front cost for the town’s police department to have a K-9 unit, Mayor Ron McDaniel reported this week.

Speaking to the Public Safety Commission, McDaniel said the resident—who wishes to remain anonymous—offered to contribute $2,300 toward the purchase of a police dog. Sgt. Martin Martinez, the town’s resident state trooper, has cited the figure as the estimated cost to buy a dog.

McDaniel, who has to approve the expenditure before a K-9 unit is purchased for the Montville Police Department, said he is still reviewing the matter.

“I’m leaning toward it, but the timing has to be right,” he said.

The proposed dog would be a Labrador retriever for use in tracking suspects and finding narcotics. The dog would work for food rewards.

Martinez previously said a dog would not affect the town’s liability insurance and that the Connecticut State Police would offer the 11-month training, which has six weeks of training for the dog and five weeks of training for a handler. He also estimated minimal costs in outfitting a cruiser to hold a dog, including $160 for tinting and $90 for markings.

Last year, the commission approved changes to the town’s police dog policy to allow the possibility of including dogs in the Montville Police Department. The Town Council approved the changes in December.

At its September meeting, the commission unanimously requested McDaniel to purchase a dog using a special fund in the police department. Lt. Leonard Bunnell said the account includes money seized by the department as well as donations from residents. He estimated that it is about $6,000 and said the fund is used for equipment purchases.